Once Upon A Time In December
by Nurisiliel
Summary: She is a lost soul in our society. But by a happy coincidence, she encounters a merciful creature, who helps her to a new life. But as Godric tries to unlock her secret, his progeny in Shreveport also has to decipher a strange mystery...
1. Chapter 1: A good night to die

**It's getting colder outside and the first snow has fallen... And this little idea wouldn** ' **t leave me alone, so I had to write it down. I don't know how long it'll be, let's just see what my muse will whisper to me...**

 **Disclaimer: Godric, Isabel and everything else that sounds familiar to you from the books or series is not mine. I only borrowed it and will (possibly) give it back. My OC, however, is mine.**

 **Now I wish you a lot of fun reading and please let me know what you think about it.**

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 **Chapter 1 ~ A good night to die**

Bright lights were all around her. Every street corner smelled of cinnamon and roasted almonds, and the people's anticipation of Christmas was noticeably electrifying.

The girl looked at the gathered men and women in their thick coats and jackets. Some seemed to be running errands, hectically going from shop to shop and frowning, but the majority of the people passing by were cheerful, the Christmas spirit glittering in their eyes.

She liked to look at the many people with their cold-reddened noses and warm gloves and was happy for them. With the winter and Christmas songs pouring in from all over the department stores and lulling the girl in as well as the warm thoughts of the people, it was a great time, the best time of the year. She would only wish that the warm thoughts sometimes turned towards her too...

It was cold, even chilly, and if her feet hadn't frozen in her worn-out and skinny shoes, she would also run from window to window and admire the myriad consumer goods she would never have been able to buy in her life. So she was condemned to sit under the little ledge and watch the hustle and bustle, knowing that she herself cannot attend.

When she watched a little boy waiting for his mother to give him a freshly prepared waffle, her stomach growled for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Fortunately, the sound was damped by the many layers of her clothing and didn't disturb the passers-by. It would have embarrassed her. She was also grateful that she had so much clothes that no one noticed how thin she really was.

Normally she got along well enough. As a homeless orphan, it was a daily challenge to just get by, and she was proud she mastered her life alone. Only in winter it was more difficult, because at these temperatures, she could no longer play her guitar and sing for the walkers and earn her daily money. And this winter had started very early. However, she didn't have a problem with searching the garbage cans for scraps of food that people threw away. And sometimes, people were generous and gave her some money or bought her something to eat.

But most of the support came through the minds of the people themselves. Because if they thought about the bright children's eyes, who would be happy about the newly purchased gifts, or the delicacies that will be served or the upcoming New Year's fireworks, then yes, she could also escape her life in her mind and forget her cold, stiff limbs and growling stomach for a while.

She loved the nights. Especially in the evenings, when the city quiets and the Christmas market lights are dimmed, she would sometimes just stand in the middle of the square and look up to the many stars above her, wondering what it would be like to fly there. Of course, she knew that the stars were all suns, all scattered throughout the universe. But she liked to imagine how she jumped from star to star and experienced adventures... like in the one book about a little prince and his fox that she had once seen in a shop window.

Her thoughts wandered around, and when the music in the nearest store quieted and eventually faded, she came back to the here and now. She had to have been absent mentally for longer than usual, because the place was now almost completely deserted. There were only a few men and women here and there going home now, and that was usually the time she got up to find her supper. But day by day it had gotten harder to do so. Whenever she tried to move her legs, they ached like hell, and even though the black hole in her stomach screamed at her infernally, she found no motivation to take up the fight to get up. She was tired and it was easier to just sit and wait for sleep.

Maybe it would have been easier if she had already had something to drink today, but last night her search had only been modest. People have been acting environmentally friendly for some time now and have not thrown away so much. Normally, she was glad of it, but right now, she was painfully aware that she was probably hopelessly dehydrated. With this realization came another one - if she didn't manage to get herself up and seek some food and drink that night, then she knew she most likely wouldn't wake up tomorrow, as emaciated as she was.

She looked back up to the stars, thinking whether it would be too bad to fall asleep right here and now forever. If she didn't move, she wouldn't feel her body anymore and it would be so easy to just close her eyes... Why should she keep on living and for what? She had no one, and from waking to falling asleep, her life was solely survival. No more and no less.

Yes, it was actually a beautiful night to die for. With a small smile she looked to the stars one last time to say goodbye. But when something flew just above the rooftops in the distance, she frowned. It was too big to be a bird; it had been too fast for that, too. When this something looped around and shortly afterwards landed in the middle of the square with the Christmas stalls, she thought for a moment that there really might be aliens out there and that they would now take her with them.

She heard herself laughing quietly about that thought, but as quiet as it had been, this something seemed to have heard it. It turned in her direction and she realized that it was a young man wearing unnaturally thin clothes for this season. Maybe she would even have wondered about that fact and that he wore only a sweater, but no jacket or gloves, scarf or hat, but she could not take her eyes off his face. Did he see her? She doubted it, always looking for a place that was already shaded by daylight unless she sang and played guitar for a living. Now at night one wouldn't be able to see her, especially since she looked more like a mountain of rags than a human being sitting at the corner of a shop. But his eyes never left her face for a second and she saw him frown.

 _'That's not right,'_ she thought. He had such a sublime face that it didn't seem right that it would be interrupted by a frown. When she realized that she was the trigger for the frown, she felt hot and cold within. He seemed like a phenomenon to her and shouldn't feel disturbed because of her!

Ashamed, she wanted to close her eyes, but then she felt a warm breath, which slowly lay over her and seemed to examine and feel her from head to toe. Her body shuddered and immediately hurt again because of the unfamiliar movement. She stifled the cry of pain that lay on her tongue in order to not attract any more attention. But his gaze didn't even move elsewhere, holding her captive. Did he really see her? But how could that be?

How long she was caught in his gaze and felt the warm breath, she didn't know, but suddenly, she got a strange feeling and shuddered again. She knew the feeling! It always came over her when something was about to happen that wasn't good. Immediately she opened herself up and consciously perceived her surroundings. And then she noticed it. Not only that this young man, who was apparently not cold and could fly, had no thoughts streaming out of his head, but also the putrid thoughts of four men who were just about to sneak up on him.

Hearing the thoughts of what they wanted to do to him, any color left her face, and her heart cramped painfully. Forgotten was her tiredness and she didn't know if her voice would obey her, but she had to try. She had to warn him!

"Watch out!"

Her voice sounded weak and scratchy, and her throat ached immediately, but she brought out the words and he seemed to hear them, for his posture changed and his eyes took on an alert expression. But he didn't turn around and still didn't let her out of his sight. Why didn't he turn around? The bad thoughts of the four grew louder and closer, but he didn't seem to notice them. Did he want to die? Her whole body was shaking by now, and as her hood slipped and the icy wind caught her face, she felt sick and almost blacked out.

The four were now so close to the young man that she could see that all of them were armed with nets and chains shining in the moonlight. But he was still concentrating only on her and that made her angry for some reason. They wanted to drain him! She could hear that clearly in their minds. Once again she tried to control her voice and it actually worked.

"Fly, you fool!"

She could hear her own panic clearly, hoping he would fly away and save himself. But her warning had now been heard by the four men too and after a brief hesitation, they rushed to him. But they were not the only ones. From the alley to the right of her suddenly came other dark figures, their murderous thoughts flowing into her. They made no sound and apparently didn't want to be detected, but she knew that they were there. Desperately, she tried to sit up and point in their direction to make the young man somehow understand that there were more attackers lurking around. But her arm failed her, so she could only look in their direction.

Then everything happened at the same time. The moment she saw that the attackers from the alley had also noticed her and one was already charging toward her, she saw the knife swinging in her direction. When she felt a short pain and something warm ran down her throat, she also heard loud, furious shouting, gurgling noises and a snap that sounded like bones breaking from a little further away. Then her attacker with the knife was suddenly torn away from her and she realized that she was getting weaker and weaker. Unconsciously, she felt for her throat and when she saw that her fingertips were red with her own blood, she realized that she was really going to die that night.

But when she heard a lovely melodic voice above her and looked up, she couldn't help but smile. There stood the young man, close to her and unhurt! That was good; she had warned him in time. With this thought she could fall asleep without regret.

Although she still saw him kneel beside her and felt his arm supporting her back, her senses failed and the cold and the blood loss took their toll and she lost consciousness...


	2. Chapter 2: Taking care

**A/N:** **Wow, I'm touched. Thank you to everyone, who already follows my little story after the first chapter and/or wrote a review. I hope you all like the second chapter as well.**

 **And please keep in mind that the story is rated M for a reason...**

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 **Chapter 2 ~ Taking care**

When she woke, Isabel turned on her side. She knew her lover was lying next to her, waiting for her to wake up from her day's sleep. Hugo had made it a habit, and Isabel enjoyed waking up next to him every night. She headed for the 500 quickly, but the last few years with Hugo had been the most intense in terms of love.

"Good morning, my dear," whispered Hugo, stealing a kiss from her. Oh, he always tasted so good. She praised this century and the hygiene that people have undergone in the meantime. It was so much more pleasant to feed on people without diseases, epidemics and skin diseases. Not only did the blood taste better and purer, she also did not have to disinfect herself afterwards to accidentally infect others.

Her Hugo ran his hand over her body and she moaned softly against his lips as she felt his arousal. As he rubbed himself against her, it sparked her hunger and she could not hold back her fangs. Hugo broke off his kiss and smiled cockily at her.

"Hungry, my dear?"

"You cannot imagine how hungry I am, my human..." Isabel countered and ripped off his clothes with vampire speed, while she pushed him on the bed in the same movement and leaned over him. She showed him her fangs and smiled mischievously.

"Do you offer to satisfy my hunger?"

"I love to satisfy all your needs, my dear..." purred Hugo and Isabel did not need more confirmation.

As she took in his member in a swift movement and he groaned in pleasure, she bit her favorite spot on his neck and sucked his life elixir. Automatically, she began to move with him and it was not long before Hugo headed for his climax. While she still feasted on his blood, she took Hugo's hands and brought them up to her breasts. As he began massaging this most sensitive zone on her body and moaned her name, Isabel reached her own climax just when he fell over the edge.

A little later, she scratched her tongue with one fang and licked over her bite marks. Hugo had a demanding job in his world and she did not want him to be considered a fangbanger. With an elegant movement Isabel rose from the bed then, while Hugo lay breathing heavily. Apparently, he needed a bit more time to come down from their blissful ride, and with a satisfied smile, Isabel took a shower alone.

Not even five minutes later, she stood dressed next to the bed again and looked at the clock.

"No second round today?" Hugo looked at her pleadingly, but she gave him only a gentle smile.

"Not this time, Hugo. I have an important appointment in a few minutes and you know that Godric does not like it when you're late. So..." She leaned towards him and kissed him again with fervor. "I see you later, my favorite human."

As always, Isabel did not need long before she reached her sheriff's nest. Actually, she also lived there, but for three weeks she had been residing with Hugo now, after the unknown girl had moved into her rooms. As she entered the secret code to the private section of the mansion and carefully closed the door behind her, she thought about the girl. Neither of them had thought that she would last so long. Even Dr. Ludwig had just shaken her head and told them to simply take her to the hospital and not burden themselves with her. But Godric had not wanted to hear about it. Still on the marketplace, he not only stopped the bleeding of her throat on the outside, but also instilled two drops of his blood into her to ensure the girl's survival.

Isabel could understand him; she, too, had been pleasantly surprised by the girl's persistence in trying to draw his attention to the attackers. What she did not know, of course, was that it had been a carefully crafted action to disarm the men who had been selling V and weakened vampires, not just in Dallas but in surrounding towns, for some time now. If these drained vampires were not found fast enough and brought to safety from the sun, very often only a pile of blood remained.

Normally, Stan and Isabel took care of such matters alone, but in this particular case, it had been beneficial for them that their sheriff had the ability to fly. Because that way they could make sure that all the drainers in the area saw him and would come to the central square. There had been surprisingly few, but after the questioning they knew that the men had been very well organized and had left nothing to chance.

When Isabel quietly opened the door to her own private rooms, she saw that both Godric and Dr. Ludwig were already present. She also quickly stood by their patient's bed and looked at the girl.

"How is she today, Dr. Ludwig?"

Isabel barely listened when Godric asked his everyday question, because she already knew the procedure. Now there would be a minute-long lecture with lots of medical terms that Isabel did not understand. What she did understand, however, was that the nasogastric tube that had fed the girl for the last three weeks had been removed. So she decided to listen to the doctor's explanation too.

"She should wake up soon..." Dr. Ludwig said at this moment. "Her body functions have improved tremendously and she has gained a lot of weight so she shouldn't break anymore when she is moving. How long it takes, however, until she wakes up, I cannot predict. I'm still surprised, that she survived the transport here at all. How she could keep warm only with skin and bones and that thin rags is a mystery to me."

Isabel watched from the corner of her eye as Godric nodded in agreement and automatically pulled the girl's blanket up even further, although it was pleasantly warm in the room. This case had left everyone speechless. The girl was young! Too young to live alone on the street, which must have been the case for some time given her condition. Neither could they understand why no one had helped the girl, or why she had not sought help herself. Besides, they had no idea who she was, for under the rags she had worn they had found nothing except an old guitar. No wallet, no ID card, nothing! Until the girl woke up from the artificial coma, in which Dr. Ludwig had put her, they had no chance to find out who she was. Isabel had even gone so far as to compare her fingerprints and photograph with the national wanted and missing person lists. But that, too, had been a dead end. It was almost as if this girl did not actually exist.

Isabel sighed softly as she gently stroked the girl's forehead and unconsciously registered her temperature. But it was like Dr. Ludwig had said; her body had visibly regenerated during the three weeks of constant food intake and hydration, and hopefully, when she woke up, they would be able to get some answers as to what had happened to her.

"What you should be aware of is that your young stranger here will most likely suffer from muscle atrophy."

"Why?" Isabel wanted to know. She was highly educated in many fields, but she had never really been interested in the vast field of medicine. But this girl fascinated her somehow, not to mention her little secret that Godric and Isabel had kept to themselves. To her astonishment not Dr. Ludwig answered her but Godric.

"She was lying in bed all these days, Isabel. Add to that the damage already caused by the cold and extreme malnutrition."

Fascinated, Isabel watched her sheriff as he took the girl's right hand into his and gently slid his fingers over her skin up to the girl's elbow.

"When she wakes up, I want you to be here all the time, Isabel, to assist her in everything. Stan will take over your duties during this time. For the daytime, I have already organized someone who can take care of her and do physiotherapy with her."

"Of course, Godric," Isabel confirmed her new task and saw that Dr. Ludwig contentedly nodded.

"Well, then, I say goodbye for now. Let me know when she wakes up and further medical examinations should be needed."

Both Isabel and Godric bid farewell to the doctor with due respect. "Thank you for your constant help, Doctor. We appreciate it very much." Isabel nodded to her, and Dr. Ludwig replied with one of her wiping hand gestures.

"Yeah, yeah, vampire, that's my job." When the doctor turned around to leave, she paused again and looked again thoughtfully at the girl and then addressed Isabel's sheriff.

"That little girl was really lucky to be found by you at the last minute. I've rarely seen a vampire perform such a selfless act of mercy."

Her sheriff was silent to this, but his eyes took on a thoughtful expression. Isabel accompanied Dr. Ludwig out of the nest and then joined Godric again. He had now sat down in the large wingback chair, which Isabel had once brought as a family heirloom into the nest, and was reading a book. When she entered, however, he looked up and nodded to her.

"Isabel, I will take a little break for today and keep watch here. Please do the administrative work during this time. As soon as she wakes up, I will let you know so you can take care of her physical condition."

Externally, Isabel remained calm, but internally she was very happy that Godric finally took a break, even if it was only for a short time. Her sheriff took his job very seriously and was always there for everyone from sunset to sunrise – and has been for decades now. Every human would have suffered from burnout on several occasions by now and probably become insane because of the many jobs that the sheriff post here in Dallas brought with it. Because not only were the Texas vampires not easy to handle because of their mentality, but also their king was a thing of its own... So she hurried to agree to his plan.

"Of course, Godric. Should you need anything from the kitchen for the girl or yourself, just let me know, then I will get it brought."

"Isabel..." Godric sighed quietly and turned his head to look at her.

Her breath caught for a moment, as her sheriff gave her one of his very _very_ rare smiles. And this time it even reached his eyes!

"I appreciate your constant attention, but I assure you that I am still able to walk on my own and carry things for myself."

The right corner of his mouth twisted into a grin and he looked playfully angry. "Or do you think I am that old?"

With that, he raised his eyebrows questioningly and did not even look remotely like the always-working, stern and now pale sheriff, whom he at all times displayed to the outside world.

Now it was up to Isabel to look at him questioningly. Where did this change of behavior come from so suddenly? Disbelieving, her gaze wandered to the still soundly sleeping girl, and she wondered if it was just a coincidence or if her sheriff had begun to feel something for this girl in those three weeks, beyond the initial caring feelings. If that was the case, she would quickly notice when the mysterious girl woke up.

Thinking about it she could not blame Godric for his reaction; after all, he was still a man and although the little one's body had looked noticeably battered when they brought her here, by now it was clear that she was also a natural beauty with her long black hair that even shimmered a little blue when the light fell on it at the right angle, the delicate cheekbones and elegantly curved lips. Her body measurements were also not to be despised and let Isabel suspect that the girl was closer to being an adult than to her childhood days.

Furthermore, she had amazingly healthy teeth and nails for her condition, and Isabel had wondered if this had anything to do with the unnatural gift the girl apparently possessed. Godric had postponed the clarification of that question to the point at which he would talk to her after waking up. But Isabel's curiosity had been too great and she had tried on her own to find out what she could be. For besides the fact of apparent telepathy, the girl also had a seductive scent that had remained hidden because of all the old and partly evil-smelling clothes she had worn against the cold until Isabel had subjected her to a makeshift clean-up. But her research had unfortunately been a dead-end.

Godric had consistently left this task of regular cleaning to Isabel; after all, they had not put the girl back into new clothes afterwards, but simply made sure that the room was warm and she was always covered with her blanket. This had also made Dr. Ludwig's examinations much less difficult, and it had also been easy to see how her body had recovered through the food supply.

"Understood," she finally answered and did not elaborate any further. The next few days, however, would be interesting and she decided to watch the two meticulously.

"Then I will get to work for now."

With a respectful nod, she excused herself and after Godric returned her respect, she quickly left the room. As she quietly closed the door behind her and headed for the sheriff's office, a contented smile stole itself onto her lips.


	3. Chapter 3: Awakening

**Thank you for your reviews! I hope you all like the third chapter. Here you go...**

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 **Chapter 3 ~ Awakening**

Her nose tickled. How could that be? Didn't her mother always tell her that if she died, she would be in perpetual peace? Sure, everything around her felt warm and fluffy and... oh what a wonderful feeling it was to not have a nagging hole in her stomach! But the tickling in her nose was getting worse and she automatically lifted one arm to rub off that annoying sensation.

With her eyes still closed, she then just lay there trying to feel her body. And after the tickling faded, the first she realized was how well the hand she had brought up to her nose smelled. Maybe she still had ended up in heavenly peace? Her skin smelled so pleasantly fresh and flowery like never before during her lifetime. But why could she even feel her body in limbo? And the more she listened to her own body, the more her senses awakened until she noticed the pinching and twitching and the places on her back and legs that felt unnaturally stiff. It shouldn't be like that in a place of natural bliss, should it? What she felt was so contradictory and she couldn't decide if she should be happy to have died or not.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her back. She inhaled sharply; clenching her teeth, then automatically took deeper breaths to breathe the pain away. The next second, out of nowhere, she then felt a source of warmth on her right arm. She automatically turned her body into that direction. Something cool then touched her arm and slowly stroked towards her shoulder.

Near to her ear she heard a soft voice that sounded familiar to her. "Where does it hurt?"

Whimpering, she tried to open her eyes to see who was beside her. But her eyelids felt heavy and didn't quite want to obey her. But whoever that was radiated a bright warmth that she enjoyed. To feel the warmness even more, which was paradoxically so pleasantly cool while touching her skin, she moved closer. At the same time, she mumbled 'back' and then the warm body with the soft voice was no more inches away from her hand, but was suddenly behind her back. Before she could react, she felt that cool touch on the skin of her back again and was briefly startled. But then the coolness started to wander and stroked her in slow and even movements all over her spine. It felt so heavenly pleasant, and when her body relaxed more and more under the touch, she sighed softly.

"Thank you..." she breathed and turned onto her stomach to give the gentle touch more space to work with. At the same time, she also turned her head back to the person she knew from somewhere and felt the mattress sinking, but not just by her movements. With great effort, she forced her eyelids open a bit and saw that the person was sitting cross-legged beside her. For a moment, she could only see one knee in dark gray pants, but as she turned her head a little further and looked up, she crossed the gaze of the young man whom she had warned about the attackers. Recognition flooded her and she frowned.

"I'm not dead?"

The young man's gaze became even more serious, but he shook his head slightly.

"You are not, little one."

She didn't know what she should feel. Her body was in a strange limbo between relaxation and constant pain, but slowly it dawned on her mind that she was still alive. She lived! When this realization hit her completely, tears welled in her eyes and she smiled.

"Thank you!"

He also gave her a smile and stroked a tear from her cheek.

"Rest a bit more," he said with a gentle voice and she rested her head on her arms again. Not long after she closed her eyes he once more stroked her back with his cool hands and even started a soft massage a few minutes later.

She didn't know how long she just lay there and enjoyed the feeling of his hands on her back, but eventually her curiosity gained the upper hand.

"Who are you?" she asked very quietly.

"My name is Godric. And what is yours, little one?"

"Ava."

"It is my turn now to thank you, Ava. I had heard your warnings about the men who wanted to attack me. How did you know that they where there?"

Ava hesitated to answer him; he had undoubtedly saved her and she felt very safe with him. But her mother's voice still sounded in her ear never to tell her secret to anyone in this world. She opened her eyes and looked at him silently for a few moments.

"If I tell you my secret, will you tell me what you are, too?"

She felt his hands stop the massage and how he sat upright.

"You do not know what I am?"

He sounded incredulous and a little... sad? Immediately she had the same feeling about him as she had at their first meeting; it wasn't right that he had negative feelings because of her. Ignoring the dull pain in her back Ava sat up quickly and took his hands into hers.

"Ava-" Godric began with an expression in his eyes she couldn't interpret. But she interrupted him.

"Please don't be sad about me. I'm sorry I don't know what you are, I... I'm aware that I don't know as much as other people do. Over the years I've seen many young people walk into school buildings every day, listening to them over and over again in the afternoon about what they had to learn again today. After the death of my mother, I never had anyone who wanted to teach me anything; otherwise, I would certainly be smarter."

She slipped closer to Godric so that her knees and his almost touched but couldn't look him in the eyes.

"I've always envied these other kids, but over time I've learned other things, and unlike others, I can survive unaided." Remembering the night they met she blushed a little bit. "At least if I'm not being attacked with a knife..." she mumbled, playing embarrassed with a strand of her hair.

When he didn't answer, she looked up at him again and noticed that he had closed his eyes. He had also become completely still like a statue and didn't breathe. He... he wasn't breathing. She leaned further to him and touched his cheeks with her hands.

"Godric!"

Clearly hearing her alerted tone he opened his eyes again, looking at her. Startled, Ava removed her hands from his face when he looked at her with pupils that had become noticeably darker. But because he didn't start breathing again too she put her right hand on his chest to check his heartbeat. Still caught in his gaze, panic was spreading within her when she realized that not only his chest was neither rising nor falling, but his heart wasn't beating at all as well.

"Your... your heart isn't beating!"

Ava had once watched a man who had revived another, but that was many summers ago and she doubted she would do it right. But he wasn't allowed to die in front of her! When he closed his eyes again, her own heart began to beat anxiously even more. Extremely caring for Godric, she leaned even closer to him, ready to try a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to rescue him, but then she heard a bright laugh at that moment and turned around, startled.

In the doorway stood a woman with a tray in her hand. Now Ava was confused. Who was this woman and why didn't she help but laugh instead? But before she could say anything, the woman came over to her and set the tray on a small table near the bed.

"Do not be afraid, my dear. Godric is fine. Or at least he will be fine if you cover yourself again."

"When I cover myself?" Ava looked down at herself and noticed she was wearing nothing but her very own skin. Hastily she let go of Godric and reached for the blanket.

"I'm sorry." She noticed Godric's tortured gaze onto her once again and dropped her eyes. "I know that it is unpleasant for people to see others naked."

"Ava-" Godric began, but she slipped away from him and wrapped herself completely into the blanket until only her face was visible.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

When she heard Godric sigh and the mattress moved, she looked up again, but he was already standing next to this beautiful woman, talking quietly to her. When he turned to the door, the panic returned within Ava. He must have sensed her fear, because he quickly turned back to her.

"You do not need to be afraid, Ava. This is Isabel and she will take care of you. I will see you later again."

"Oh… okay." She nodded quietly and watched as he quickly left the room.

She didn't notice how Isabel watched her closely or heard her soft sigh at that miracle that Godric wasn't dying despite the fact that his heart was as still as a dark night in the city, even though she hid her mouth behind the blanket.

"I assume you are thirsty?"

Ava broke away from the sight of the door and forced herself to look at the other woman. She was really beautiful and had a strange accent which Ava couldn't recognize. Like that woman Ava also had black hair, but due to her personal circumstances, her hair was always matted and just hung down over her shoulders. She played with her long strands, lost in thought, wondering if she should ask for a pair of scissors to cut her hair short. By now her hair had already grown in length to her butt and disturbed her immensely, because she couldn't care for it properly.

When this Isabel suddenly sat next to her on the bed, Ava came back from her reverie to the present.

"So, your name is Ava, yes? I am glad that you are feeling better. As Godric said, I am Isabel and if you have any questions, you can ask me anytime."

Ava looked at Isabel shyly and then fixed her gaze on the glass of water that Isabel handed her with a smile. Almost greedily she reached for it and drank it in one breath. Until that moment, she had successfully suppressed how thirsty she was and how rough her throat felt.

"Slowly, girl! Your body has to acclimatize first. You have just been fed through a tube for three weeks and-"

"Three weeks?" Ava asked in disbelief. Or at least wanted to ask – because it wasn't a good idea to talk while she was still drinking. And so the inevitable happened. She choked and was now about to cough her lungs out of her body. Isabel patted her on the back, and after a few minutes, Ava had recovered to the point where she could breathe and speak normally again.

"Better?" Isabel asked her sympathetically and Ava nodded.

"Was I really unconscious for three weeks? Was the wound really that bad? I mean, I realize that it had to be bad..."

Unconsciously, Ava grabbed her throat and groped for the scar, amazed to find she could only feel smooth skin. Where was the scar? She looked at Isabel with raised eyebrows.

"I thought I was going to die because of the wound. How could it heal so there is no scar left?"

"Oh my dear child, you owe that fact to Godric." With a smile that reminded Ava of her own mother, Isabel stroked her dull hair and looked at her dreamily.

"Is Godric a doctor?"

This elicited a soft laugh from the other woman. "Godric used to work as a doctor some time ago, but no, that is not the reason."

"Some time ago? But he looks so young. How can that be? How old is he?"

Again, Ava was given this motherly smile and when Isabel gestured for her to come closer, Ava was grabbed by her curiosity. Shifting to sit closer to that woman, Isabel leaned to her ear and whispered into it.

"He is over two thousand years old..."

Incredulous, Ava tore her head back and looked at Isabel with wide-open eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"You ask me if I am-? Oh, good God..."

Isabel began to laugh heartily, and after a short while she had to wipe away the first tears that escaped her eyes because she laughed so much. That messed up Ava even more.

"Isabel? Your tears!"

"Yes, dear?"

"They're red! Are you alright? Should I go and get Godric to help you?"

Ava didn't know what to do. She really would like to think about what Isabel meant by saying that her savior was an ancient being. But this new fact that Isabel obviously wasn't well threw her completely off track again. Because it wasn't normal to have red tears – that Ava knew for sure. But otherwise her head was empty and she felt totally helpless. When she also started to cry and couldn't suppress a sob, Isabel quickly fell silent and looked at her, her eyes clearly begging for forgiveness.

"I am sorry, Ava. Please forgive me." With a handkerchief wiping away the last tears, Isabel became serious again. "For a long time I have not met anyone who is so wonderfully innocent and ignorant of my nature."

She took a new handkerchief and wiped the tears from Ava's face as well. When Ava calmed down a bit, Isabel kissed her forehead and she realized that the other woman was as cold as Godric.

"What are you?" she asked Isabel shyly and with curiosity.

"Both Godric and I are vampires, my dear child. Do you know this term?"

"Yeah..." Ava started slowly, trying to think. She had heard of it before, but where had that been? "Ah, I remember! Two summers ago I passed a shop that had a TV in the shop window and there was a broadcast about vampires. There was a woman with short blond hair who didn't look very friendly and she had argued with someone. I thought it was about some political issue and so I went on."

"Well, that would have been Nan Flanagan..." Isabel sighed, reaching for a plate on the tray. When she left the plate in front of her, Ava saw the biggest sandwich she had ever seen. Between two layers of crispy toasted bread lay a thick slice of cheese and a juicy lettuce leaf with two slices of tomato peeking out. At that sight, Ava's mouth was watering and with gleaming eyes she looked at Isabel questioningly.

"Is this sandwich for me?"

"Of course," Isabel assured her and stroked her cheek with a suddenly sad expression.

Ava wasn't really hungry at that very moment; her stomach was still pleasantly filled because of this tube that Isabel had mentioned earlier. But just the sudden kindness and care that Godric and Isabel have given her so far brought hot silent tears to her eyes again. With more and more blurring eyes, she took the sandwich and bit into it.

She ate slowly and deliberately, savoring every bite. Ava didn't know what was going to happen to her and because there was the possibility that this was the last time in her life that she would eat a sandwich that someone had given her, she wanted to remember this special gift and keep it forever in her mind.

When the last bite had disappeared into her mouth, she even picked up the crumbs that had fallen on the sheet. Isabel sat quietly next to her all the while, letting her have the time she needed. Ava was grateful for that, too. On the street, it often happened that some homeless people were constantly fighting over the best remnants and if you wanted to get something too, you had to be quick. Ava had always run away from such arguments as she didn't like to fight with others.

"I thank you... both of you! I can't remember when the last time was that someone gave me something just as a gift. And you've been caring for me for three weeks now. I... I don't know how to thank you!"

Ava felt that new tears were threatening to fall again. Normally, she wouldn't burst into tears so quickly, but today she couldn't stop it somehow. It was as if all the repressed feelings of the last few years were coming loose and pushing to the surface. Before she knew it, Isabel held her in a tight hug and stroked her back in a reassuring gesture.

"It is okay, Ava. Let it out. Today you do not need to be strong. Just let it out..." Isabel whispered and for a felt eternity Ava did just that – crying until her soul felt lighter from all the pain and hardships of the years since her mother's death.

At some point, the pain in her noticeably decreased and her tears dried up. But she stayed in Isabel's arms for a while longer, simply because she longed for the touch of another being. She noticed that Isabel slightly rocked her and hummed a soft melody; it was so relaxing that she nearly fell asleep. Unfortunately, Ava's nose called in an unpleasant way, so that she had to sit up. Isabel wordlessly handed her a handkerchief and after she had blown her nose, Isabel gently stroked her hair.

"Come, my dear child. I will show you the bathroom."

Without another word, Isabel rose from the bed and held out her hand to Ava. With a grateful smile, she took Isabel's hand and moved to the edge of the bed. However, when she wanted to put her legs on the floor, Isabel stopped her.

"Careful, Ava. You may be suffering from muscular atrophy, and your legs may not be able to support you. So try it carefully, okay?"

Ava nodded, and though she didn't know exactly what a muscle atrophy was, she at first only tentatively put her right leg on the floor. Leaning on the bed, she gradually shifted more and more weight to her leg when she realized she had no trouble with it. Getting braver, she also put her left leg on the floor and strained it until she was completely on both legs. Satisfied, she smiled at Isabel and earned an appreciative nod.

"Your body has so far recovered a lot, Ava, but please keep in mind that you still should give yourself a break now and then the next days, okay?"

Automatically, Ava had to think about the pain in her back, which Godric had massaged away with his pleasantly cool hands, and nodded thoughtfully.

"Isabel, what... What's next? I mean, what-"

"Stop, my dear child. You are going to just take a bath now and then we will talk about what is going to happen to you, understood? And do not worry; I know from a safe source that Godric does not intend to put you back outside on the street."

This statement was a load off Ava's mind and she looked at Isabel in disbelief. Before she could say anything else, Isabel opened another door and switched on the light in the bathroom. The first thing Ava noticed was the warm colors. No boring white tiles, like in so many station toilets, were to be found. For the most part, the wall was decorated with beautiful mosaic stones, with silhouettes of birds and dark winding paths like the branches of a huge tree on it. In addition to a ground level shower there was also a freestanding bathtub nearly in the middle of the room with a huge black screen on the wall behind it.

Ava looked around in astonishment as Isabel already went to the bathtub and turned on the faucet. Then she went to a small wall console and pressed a few keys – not a moment later a chimney appeared on the wall screen, blazing a fire and dipping the room into even more pleasant warm colors.

"Wow..." Ava murmured and went also to the bathtub. When she saw the water rippling into the evenly shaped tub, it sparked a joy in her that made her smile. But that drew her attention to something else, and with a shameful expression she turned towards Isabel.

"Isabel? Um, I would have to use the toilet..."

"Of course, my dear. I am waiting outside until you are ready."

Isabel walked out with quick steps and closed the door behind her. Quickly Ava turned to the toilet and relieved herself. After she had rinsed and wrapped herself in the blanket again, which she had taken to the bathroom to cover herself, she stood in front of the screen and watched the roaring fire. She could even hear the soft cracking of the wood from somewhere. It was such a reassuring and lulling image that she didn't hear Isabel come back in and shut off the faucet. It was only when Isabel came to stand beside her that she spun around, slightly startled, and smiled sheepishly at the other woman.

"Come now, Ava, the bath is ready."

Isabel held out a hand, but Ava hesitated. It was clear that Isabel apparently wanted to help her bathe, but she hadn't forgotten Godric's reaction when she accidentally showed herself naked. Unconsciously, she pulled her blanket closer around her and Isabel sighed and sat down on the edge of the tub.

"It is okay, Ava. You do not have to be ashamed of your body, dear. You know, I am also a woman and-"

"I'm not ashamed of my body. But it is unpleasant for others to be naked around them." Ava looked embarrassed to the ground. "As Godric reminded me earlier..."

Once again she heard Isabel's bell-ringing laugh.

"My dear child... believe me when I tell you that it is not unpleasant for _me_ to see you without clothes. In fact it is very natural and you should not worry about it."

"But Godric-"

"Just hop into the tub and we will talk about it."

"Um... okay..."

Still hesitantly, Ava lowered the blanket and folded it then. When Isabel took it from her and put it away down onto a shelf, Ava slid into the bathtub and immediately felt the irrepressible joy she always felt as soon as she came into contact with water. On the water was also a thick layer of foam shimmering in the light and when Ava wanted to sit back comfortably, she realized that her hair still hung out of the tub. As she bent forward to get it into the tub too, she felt how Isabel gently grabbed her hair.

"You have beautiful long hair, Ava… Do you want to leave it that long?"

Ava half turned to Isabel and looked at her uncertainly.

"Not really. I like long hair, but as long as it is right now, it only bothers me."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Isabel nodding and reaching for a comb.

"I have some experience in cutting hair, should I cut it down a bit right now?"

"You could do that? That would be great, Isabel!"

"Okay, dear. Sit back and relax. I will shorten it right now and fine-tune it when you are done bathing and your hair is wet too."

Ava gladly followed Isabel's request and had to be careful not to fall asleep thanks to the surrounding warmth of the water and soft crackling of the fake fire. When Isabel was finished cutting her hair, Ava got from her a wonderfully soft sponge to wash herself with. She felt so free and secure that her mind could shut down completely.

Without all the worries and fears she usually carried around, she could now remember a tune her mother had always hummed to her when she was a little girl. Ava tried the melody quietly for herself at first and when she was sure of it again, she began to hum it loudly. After a little while, Isabel began to hum the melody together with her and that conjured a bright smile on Ava's face. And slowly, infinitely slowly, but inexorably, a hope grew within her heart that maybe she would be able to live a new, better life from now on...


	4. Chapter 4: What are you?

**Chapter 4 ~ What are you?**

With practiced movements, Isabel cut Ava's hair and then brushed it thoroughly. It was the first time in a very long time that she had been able to cut hair for someone other than Godric, and it was a welcome change. Certainly, she liked to do her job as Godric's personal hairdresser, but it was not a challenging task – he always wanted one and the same haircut... Now she had an innocent girl in front of her that awakened Isabel's protective instinct and had wonderfully long hair.

In a way, the girl reminded Isabel of her daughter, whom she once had long ago, until she witnessed her death. Even as a member of a noble family you could not always conquer death. She herself had then defeated the end with the help of a handsome stranger who had promised her a life of everlasting infinity and never recurring pain. At that time, she would have wished that he had entered her life a few weeks earlier to save her daughter as well. Today she was glad that it had not happened. Her Elena had been only eight years old when she closed her eyes forever and Isabel knew several vampires who had been trapped in ever-young bodies for centuries, with no chance of ever growing up physically. She knew that many suffered because of that. For just in this modern age, in which adolescents were increasingly denied responsibility and spiritual maturity, life was not easy for them.

When she was done, she held up a small mirror so that Ava could also look at her hair from behind. Isabel had cut the hair in a v-shape and the longest tips fell down now to Ava's shoulder blades. In the large mirror, which stood on the dressing table, she could see that Ava's eyes were big with excitement.

"Thank you, Isabel..." the girl whispered softly as if to herself and Isabel smiled contentedly. With human speed she then swept the cut hair aside and into a garbage can. Then she took a small stool and set it down next to Ava's chair, which she turned so that Ava could put her legs on it.

"Come, Ava, up with your feet." The girl looked at her questioningly and Isabel gave her an encouraging smile.

"After a quick shaving your feet will get a pedicure now and then-"

"Pedicure?"

When Isabel looked up, Ava had her head tilted thoughtfully to the side.

"Yes," Isabel said, taking Ava's right foot in her hands. "Pedicure is the care of the feet, which means shortening and rasping the toenails, the removal of the cornea and dead cuticles..."

"Oh, ah okay." Isabel saw Ava nodding eagerly and started her work.

"So Ava, what else do you know about vampires except that they exist?" Isabel asked in a chatting tone.

"Um, nothing really? Although, when I was little, my mother once read a book about vampires to me in which they turned into bats."

"Well, I am afraid that this book was not true to reality, my dear child. Vampires can do many things, but turning into bats is not one of them."

"Godric and you have such cold skin and... Godric could move without a heartbeat, is that the same with all vampires?"

"That is correct, Ava. Vampires are supernatural beings that stand between life and death, meaning that we live without needing to breathe oxygen in. Our bodies no longer function like those of humans. We do not have to eat anything organic so that we can gain strength and that our digestive system works."

Isabel glanced up from her work to see how Ava had been taking this information up so far. The girl had her arms loosely crossed over her chest and was obviously thinking.

"But you have to live on something? Even if you are here in this sphere by a supernatural force, there must be something to… feed this force and to ensure that your souls can still move your bodies. And when you say that you are standing between life and death, do you mean one has to die to become a vampire?"

Isabel smiled approvingly at her.

"That is correct, too. What vampires need to survive is blood," Isabel said as casually as possible, starting the pedicure when she finished shaving Ava's legs. Nevertheless she also continued to watch the girl out of the corner of her eye.

But so far, Ava just seemed to be listening to the explanations Isabel gave her. She did not seem to be as scared as most people were when the talk came to the existential theme of vampire life. Nor showed Ava the opposite feelings that usually lead humans to become fangbangers. Although Isabel could understand this sort of people quite well, after all the vampire myth had been maintained and revived over the centuries and was even more and more romanticized. But she did not like people clothing themselves in garments that barely covered their skin and literally threw themselves at their feet. Even during her lifetime, Isabel abhorred slavery, and nowadays some of these fangbangers behaved as if they would love to be the slaves of vampires. But like the humans and other supernatural beings, vampires were part of society too and did not want to be treated as superior beings! Inwardly sighing, Isabel shook her head imperceptibly for Ava. Unfortunately, in this case again exceptions confirmed the rule... But such people would always exist. Beyond the history of mankind, there had always been people who thought they were better than others and wanted to take the lead of world powers and governments.

When Isabel realized that her thoughts kept on wandering away, she turned her attention back to her explanations within seconds.

"Do you mean the blood of humans?" Ava asked her just now and Isabel nodded.

"Yes, but not just human blood. For pure survival, vampires can also drink animal blood, but for some reason, it is not very nutritious for us. It keeps us alive for a while, but for our bodies to function normally, we need human blood in the long run. But some time ago, scientists were also able to produce synthetic blood, so that today we can resort to it and no longer have to drink directly from humans.

"Another feature of vampires is that our bodies can no longer produce life, but otherwise we have the same needs as all adult humans experience from time to time when being together with each other…"

"What do you mean by that? Does that mean that you cannot have children?"

For the tiny fraction of a second, Isabel felt a deep sting in her heart and she looked at Ava seriously, nodding.

"I cannot have children and male vampires cannot father children. We-"

Before Isabel could go on, Ava had suddenly thrown herself into her arms. She really had not expected that.

"I'm so sorry, Isabel," she heard the girl sob and when she gently pushed her away to look at her, Isabel saw that Ava had tears in the corner of her eyes. That made Isabel feel like she had not felt for a long time. A wave of motherly pride rolled over her and she cupped Ava's face with both hands, wiping away the tears that were about to roll over her new protégé's cheeks.

"Ava... my dear child, it is okay. I may not be nearly as old and wise as Godric, but I have spent more than four hundred years on this earth and believe me when I tell you that even if there is nothing more satisfying than seeing children grow up, life still has a lot more to offer. Before I died and became a vampire, I had a daughter and really enjoyed that feeling back then. And even though my current life is completely different than that as a mortal woman, it is no less fulfilled and I am happy. That is why you do not need to shed tears for me, my dear child."

Isabel pulled Ava back into a hug and held her tight for a moment.

"But now to you, dear one. Would you like to tell me what happened to your mother? Why were you out there all on your own?"

This time it was Ava who broke away from the embrace and looked at Isabel uncertainly. When she hesitantly nodded a few moments later, she sat back on the chair again and buried her hands in her lap.

"Godric had asked me how I knew there were men at the marketplace who wanted to attack him. Um, that's also part of my... personal story. Maybe we should wait for him?"

The girl looked at Isabel with such innocent-clear eyes that Isabel could not help but love her. At the same time she swore that she would protect Ava from now on – both from the human monsters outside of this house and those of her own race.

"Unfortunately, Godric does not have time to come back for the next few hours, but if you do not want to talk about it at the moment, it is okay and we will do that tomorrow."

"Didn't he say that he'll see me again later?"

"You must know that Godric is a sheriff, Ava. You certainly know that the United States of America is divided into states?" At Ava's nod, Isabel continued her explanation. "This is the division of people's policies. Our vampire government has also divided North America into states, but these are not congruent with human ones. And every state is subdivided into smaller areas, which are governed by the sheriffs. Godric now is the sheriff of the Dallas area, so he is always busy. I am his deputy, his second-in-command. That means, whenever he is prevented for any reason, I take over the business. The dealings with our policies unfortunately take up most of the night, so he usually has not time until early in the morning."

"I understand," Ava nodded, and then frowned at the same time. "But why does he work at night? Why not during the day?"

That elicited again a delighted smile from Isabel.

"Oh dear one, okay..." At first, she now took Ava's left hand to start the manicure, as she was satisfied with her work on both of the girl's feet. "We vampires have many advantages: we can move super fast if we want, have very good senses, which means we can not only hear the quietest sounds and see _very_ far, but also have an infallible visual and auditory memory. For example, it would be easy for me to verbally rewrite every little word of our conversation later on to Godric. But vampires also have a limitation and that is that we are creatures of the night. As soon as the sun rises, the magical force of the day, of life, pulls our bodies to sleep, which we can barely resist, if at all. And since our bodies do not have a heartbeat, as you noticed, we call this sleep our day's death."

Isabel almost expected Ava to pity her for this occasion, but instead the girl had bright eyes wide with excitement.

"That means you can always look to the stars without getting tired, because the day was so exhausting? Oh Isabel, that's so wonderful! I cannot imagine anything more beautiful..."

Isabel watched in disbelief as Ava sighed and closed her eyes, sinking against the back of the chair. She really had not expected that. This girl was really one-of-a-kind. But this suddenly opened up completely new possibilities.

"So you like being in nature? Or could you imagine also working indoors?"

As expected, her question brought Ava back into the here and now and the girl looked questioningly at Isabel.

"Work?" Clearly interested Ava leaned forward, and again Isabel felt maternal pride towards the girl. "What are you thinking about? But yes, I love being outside. Not so much in the city, but in the meadows and forests. There is always enough food to find. Actually, I'm constantly only in a city in the cold season, as the buildings give more warmth and people sometimes donate some money to me when they hear me singing and playing guitar." Here she paused, biting her bottom lip in alarm. "Um, Isabel? Do you know what happened to my guitar?"

"Do not worry, dear. When Godric brought you here, I took your guitar and stowed it in the big closet over there in the room."

"Thank you, Isabel, really." Embarrassed, Ava wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "This guitar is the last item I still have from my mother..."

"I understand." Isabel had an idea and hoped to put it into action. "My dear, I really like guitars too but cannot play unfortunately. Would you mind playing a little bit for me tomorrow?"

Immediately the girl's face lit up again.

"With pleasure, I-" With a big smile, Isabel watched as Ava stifled a yawn.

"Okay, girl. Just let me finish this quickly and then I will put you back to bed so you can rest. We can talk again tomorrow night."

~oOo~

There was still an hour to go until sunrise when Isabel quietly closed the door to her room. After Isabel had shown the girl the clothes she had bought for her, she gave Ava permission to leave the room and go to the library only two rooms away if she felt the desire to. She also quickly explained how to use the laptop she would find in the library. And since Ava would certainly be hungry when she woke up, Isabel also described her the short way to the kitchen, because Ava was allowed to use whatever she found in the fridge. After that Ava had quickly fallen asleep.

For a moment, Isabel listened once more to the girl's quiet breathing in and out, smiling contentedly. She was looking forward to the next night. While walking to Godric's office, she thought of everything she'd already told Ava about vampires and what she was still going to tell her.

When she arrived at the office, she was perplexed to find the door open a crack. Apparently, Godric was already expecting her, but out of courtesy, she knocked on it anyway, before pushing the door open wider. Her longtime confidant sat behind his desk, eyes closed, almost as if he were asleep.

"Come in, Isabel. Tell me, what is your assessment?"

Involuntarily a small smile stole itself on Isabel's face and as if Godric could see it despite closed eyelids, he looked at her suddenly with a serious expression.

"You like that girl, am I right, Isabel?"

She nodded and sat down on the chair in front of Godric's desk.

"I do not think she needs to do physiotherapy, Godric. When I drew her attention to the possibility of a muscle atrophy, she was a bit cautious about her movements at first. But after a bath it was forgotten; her movements were calm and even, her sense of balance perfect and her eye-hand coordination was excellent too... I think it is better if she can just sleep and then she will be okay."

Godric nodded thoughtfully and then looked at Isabel slightly rebukingly.

"I can understand that you feel the need to explain much to her, Isabel. But you should also pay attention to the safety protocols. You allowed her to go to the kitchen and the library during the day, but did not make a ban on entering the other rooms. But especially you should know that humans with their curiosity tend to go where it is forbidden for them."

Godric had propped his elbows on his desk and clasped his hands together. As he leaned slightly forward, Isabel could see clearly how his hands were tightening, and she instantly knew that she had given the girl too much freedom without asking.

"Think about what I would have to do to her if she accidentally showed up in Stan's or my bedroom without asking for permission first."

"I sincerely apologize, Godric." Isabel hung her head. "But you should have seen her. She is such a sweet girl and-"

"I know that, Isabel. I followed your whole conversation from here. Nevertheless, this is still my home and therefore I am responsible for the safety of all residents."

Amazed, Isabel looked at her sheriff. He had been able to follow their conversation? Even though his office was at the other end of the mansion, with not only two or three normal doors in between, but also the extra-thick security door separating the private rooms from the front, public part of the house? Her astonishment must have been clear on her face, for Godric snorted in amusement and leaned back against the back of his chair.

"That ability is not new, Isabel. How do you think would I always know what happens within my nest?"

"Well, I suppose I just did not pay attention so far."

"Indeed. You should realize that this can also be dangerous for you, if you let yourself be distracted from our world's abilities by your human Hugo. At the moment, it is peaceful in our area and state, but Queen Laclerq not only brings Louisiana off balance with her escapades. Her extravagance and disapproval of a political wedding are already widely circulated, and this could soon be a source of turmoil for Texas. So, from my second-in-command, I expect the highest level of mindfulness, do you understand that?"

His tone was calm and explanatory, but Isabel had no illusion that he meant every word seriously.

"I understand, Godric. If you allow me asking, what are your plans with the girl?"

"I will think about that when we find out more about her. At first she will stay here; tomorrow she will get another room. The capacities are available. You will return to the nest and continue to take care of her. Find out about her knowledge compared to the human school curricula, and then I will decide."

Isabel nodded and knew that she was dismissed. For that day she would look for another room in the nest, realizing that Godric, because of her misconduct, did not want her to spend the day in Hugo's house. When she reached the door, Godric called her back.

"Oh and Isabel? Remind Stan of his job of keeping the younger vampires in control when visiting my home, or from now on he will be personally responsible to clean up after them."

Again Isabel nodded and said goodbye for the day. It would be a pleasure to her to convey this message to Stan.


	5. Chapter 5: The water flows in me

**A/N: I know it's been a while, but normal life doesn't always give you time to write...**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 ~ The water flows in me**

It was a gentle gliding out of sleep when she awoke – no pain, just warmth around her as she slowly stretched out in the soft bed. It was dark in the room, but she had expected that. Isabel had hinted that the automatic blinds would provide darkness if she woke during the day. Carefully, Ava sat up, but her body was completely painless. Reassured, she swung her legs off the bed and walked the few steps to the light switch Isabel had shown her the previous night. When the room shone in the warm light of the ceiling lamp, she saw on a small table a water bottle and a fruit bowl filled with apples, pears and bananas. With a thankful smile, she went to the table and wanted to take a pear when she noticed a note lying next to the water bottle. A grateful feeling spread through Ava's chest as she read Isabel's words that she should enjoy the fruit. The pears looked so juicy and delicious that Ava couldn't resist, although she had previously felt only a slight tug in the stomach area, which announced no real hunger but a greater appetite. Heartily, she bit into the flesh and closed her eyes with relish, feeling how the sweet juice flowed down her throat.

When she had eaten the pear and put the seeds neatly back in the bowl, Ava felt a different hunger within herself. And this time, it wasn't just a light appetite, but a feeling that spread rapidly. She knew exactly what it was – her hitherto insatiable hunger for knowledge. Would she be able to satisfy it this time? Isabel had told her that she could use the library of this house. What kind of books would she find in it? With an inner ever-growing anticipation, she quickly went to the bathroom and took a shower. The vampiress had no idea how grateful Ava was for the bath she had had the day before. Her skin had badly needed it. Ava had sensed that she had been cleaned several times over the past three weeks and given something to drink. But it was something else to consciously absorb the water... And it was so much better than doing it in a freezing cold lake or river. Other opportunities had, unfortunately, not been available to her as a homeless person.

With her eyes closed, Ava simply stood there for several minutes, enjoying the feel of the water moistening her hair and skin from above. Even though yesterday's bath had already done her good, she took in every last drop of water that touched her and she felt herself getting stronger and her head clearer. After another minute, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower with a smile. She didn't need to dry herself, because the last remaining drops of water on her skin were quickly absorbed from the uppermost layers of her epidermis into the lower ones. So she walked back dry to the main room where her bed stood.

As she passed a mirror, another smile stole onto her lips. She gladly saw that her iris had returned to its original color. Instead of a pale gray, her eyes now shone again in the glowing ice blue with which she was born. But this fact made her melancholy at the same time and she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Mom... I found good souls who helped me. Please make sure they don't send me away when they find out what I am. But I think my chances are good because they're something else as well… they're vampires."

At her last whispered words, Ava felt a tingling within her chest. Of course, she hadn't been living behind the moon for the last few years and it's amazing what you're able to hear when people talk unabashedly about all sorts of topics around you when they don't feel watched. And a skinny girl dressed in rags is 90 % disregarded. And when the vampires had revealed themselves, that had been the number one topic of conversation for weeks and months. Although she hadn't known much about this _new_ species back then, Ava had been able to hear all sorts of opinions from people across all ages and professions. Now, getting to know not just one but two vampires, Ava found it very exciting.

Pulling undergarments, a knee-length jeans and a dark blue blouse out of the closet that Isabel had shown her, she thought about what she could offer Godric and Isabel for their help. But apart from her voice and playing skills, Ava didn't know how to show her gratitude.

With a contented sigh, she stroked the blouse after dressing, which fit her snuggly, and looked at herself in the mirror again. She really liked Isabel's haircut, and after brushing her hair for a few seconds to straighten a strand here and there, she then remembered Isabel's request to play something for her. Feeling nervous, she got her guitar out of the closet where Isabel had put it in. _'Will it sound as good as it did before this winter?'_ With a numb feeling in her chest, Ava sat cross-legged on the floor and began to slowly tune the individual strings. Already at the first sound she grimaced – as she had suspected, her guitar was completely out of tune. With a sigh, Ava set to work and prepared her instrument to be playable again. Thanks to her fine hearing, she didn't need long for that task, and feeling her self-assurance returning, she immediately began playing a song without interruption and tried to sing along. It was a wonderful feeling…

After playing the final notes, Ava realized she had tears in her eyes, and with a liberated laugh she kissed the back of her instrument like she had always done since her mother had died. The instrument inherited from her mother sounded as wonderful as ever now. However, Ava's voice was a little scratchy, but she would fix it later during the next few hours. Because now that she knew that her guitar had survived the cold on the streets, her curiosity now dragged her out of the room.

After storing her guitar safely back again she opened the door that would take her out into the corridor, like her new friend had explained to her. As expected, the hallway was bathed in a shady half-light and when Ava closed the door behind her, she leaned against it for a moment to look around and listen. But everything was quiet. In addition, the walls were decorated throughout with a kind of dark wood paneling that would swallow any sound. Before this unnatural silence could made Ava nervous, she turned left and followed the instructions of Isabel.

And indeed, just two doors down, she came to a large room, which walls were completely covered with huge bookshelves reaching up to the ceiling. Admiring, Ava stepped into the room and approached a table that stood exactly in the middle of this beautiful library. Ava didn't know what kind of wood the table was made of, but the dark color matched the room, which was all in a sublime dark decor. Carefully, she let her right hand ran over the smooth wood while looking around in wonder. Enjoying the tender feeling on her palm, she looked at the books that filled the bookshelves.

From her position she couldn't read the titles, but standing there alone made her feel as if she just had to reach out and the knowledge would flow straight into her.

"If only you could see me here now, Mom..." With an awesome feeling, she closed her eyes and inhaled the smell of the many books.

That was the moment when another smell also reached her nose. Her eyes flew open in surprise and the books were instantly forgotten. As if in a trance, Ava followed the faint smell while leaving the library again with quick steps. Just from listening to the almost inaudible humming which she now heard because she was concentrating on it, her mind's eye saw the pump humming softly, producing the tiniest waves as it kept exchanging the water. She didn't know where she was going; the wood paneling looked the same everywhere. But the closer she got to her destination, the more details her senses absorbed. Ava knew how big the pool would be even before she saw it; simply from the movements of water, which sloshed rhythmically against the edges of the pool. She knew how warm the water would be, as the water in the air around her had the same temperature the more she got nearer and felt it with her skin.

"I haven't felt such a strong pull for ages..."

Mumbling to herself, Ava finally entered the room deep inside the property after minutes of walking toward the trigger of that powerful pull. Somewhere in her consciousness, she knew that if she wanted to go back to the room she woke up in, she would get totally lost. But she just didn't care at that moment when she saw the glint of the water on the walls and the ceiling of the room, moving in sync with the gentle waves within the pool.

With overwhelming joy, Ava crouched down on the edge of the pool and held her palms flat over the surface of the water. Expectantly she closed her eyes and listened to what the water had to say. After a felt eternity, Ava's lips twisted into a grin. It was lonely – for weeks, if not months, nobody had come here and connected with the water. Ava intended to change this circumstance here and now! And it would feel so much better than just standing in the shower like earlier…

With almost devout movements, she peeled off her blouse and then got up to take off her jeans. Just standing in her underwear, she then briefly examined the elegantly decorated pillars that lined the pool and the white-turquoise tiles of the walls before leaping into the water with a happy laugh...

* * *

When Godric opened his eyes, the first thing he did as every evening was listening into every room of his home. But as always everything was quiet. Satisfied, he withdrew his senses again, got up from his bed without further hesitation and took the first sweater and pants out of his closet that he found.

When he left his refugium and walked slowly along the corridor to the kitchen in the private area, he found himself listening once more into the house. However, when he arrived in the kitchen, he frowned. He did not hear the constant palpitations of his new guest, to which he had become accustomed in the last three weeks! As he put a bottle of TruBlood into the microwave, he took a control pad out of its hiding place in the wall and opened the central security log.

With a practiced eye he saw immediately that neither the front door of the estate nor the windows had been opened during the day. Another click also showed him that the security door separating the private from the public area of his property had not been opened either. But that would mean that the young girl still had to be here. But how could that be possible if he could not hear her heartbeat?

When the microwave announced with a gentle ping that the heating process was complete, he thoughtfully took out the bottle and drank the TruBlood all at once. When Isabel had put the girl to bed early in the morning, she was in good health. And both Isabel and Stan were still resting in their respective rooms. That was no problem finding out for him, once again reaching out with his senses and searching for his second and third in command. But where was the girl?

Putting the empty bottle in the sink and the control pad back in its place, he walked to Isabel's room with vampire speed, where Ava resided. He did not bother to knock, but entered immediately. On his way there he had also taken a quick look into the library, but as in this room and bath, the girl had not been there.

Slowly, Godric got a bit nervous, but at the same time it sparked his hunting instinct. He would find her. Physically far away from him, but inwardly so close, he felt Eric's awakening; with a playful grin he had to think of the hunts they had done so long ago in the vast forests of Europe. Before his son could feel his excitement, however, he dampened their bond and eagerly drew Ava's scent into his lungs. Then he left the room again and followed her trail. Whatever the girl was, she definitely could not disguise her scent. He would remember that later.

Tense with all his senses, Godric quickly made his way further into the interior of the estate and continued his search. In this part of the house there were only a few guest rooms and empty rooms but nothing more. He asked himself what she could have found interesting here. But then Godric remembered that a pool was not even two rooms farther, and when the sweet smell of the girl grew stronger, he ran the remaining distance within half a second.

At the edge of the pool he immediately saw the origin of the fragrance – a blouse and jeans lay there. Looking into the water he could not see anything. It was as if the water moved by itself in strange waves to prevent him from looking in it. Growling, Godric had a bad foreboding and a moment later he was in the pool looking around underwater. His eyes widened when he saw Ava. She floated in the middle of the pool, her hair gently hugging her head and torso and her closed eyes giving her face a peaceful look.

She almost looked like an angel, but Godric had no time to enjoy her beautiful sight. Several minutes had passed since he had searched for her because of her missing heartbeat, and he did not know how long Ava had been in the water. Maybe it was already too late...

Nonetheless, he was at her side with only two strong strokes, embracing her delicate body with his arms and breaking the surface of the water a second later. Floating, he reached the edge of the pool and carefully laid the girl down. At once he put his hands in the middle of Ava's chest and started the resuscitation without hesitation. Thirty times, he carefully compressed her chest due to his strength, just as he had learned at the beginning of his short medical career. Mentally strongly calling for Isabel so that she woke up at once, he briefly paused his chest compression. Godric then opened Ava's airway by gently tilting her head back and lifting her chin forward. Putting his palm on the girl's forehead he pinched her nostrils shut and gave her one rescue breath.

He was pleased to see that Ava's chest rose. But when he wanted to continue with the second rescue breath, Godric saw to his surprise that her eyes were open and that she was looking directly at him.

"Ava?"

When he straightened slightly to examine her better, he heard the characteristic sound of a contracting heart. Only once, but with his hand still resting on her forehead, he suddenly felt a… movement in her, as if a wave were sliding through her body. When this wave passed through her lungs and her heart, Ava audibly breathed and her heart began beating strong and healthy again.

Meanwhile, her eyes followed his every movement and looked at him questioningly when he leaned back. He had never seen such a thing. In addition to the mystery he had just experienced, he also had to wonder why and how her eye color had changed. Taking his hand from her forehead he slowly traced the contours of her cheek with his hand and looked her constantly into her now beautiful ice-blue eyes.

"Who are you…" he asked her softly. But instead of answering, Ava raised both her hands and gently cupped his face. Without breaking their eye contact, he felt a faint pull when she began to lead his head back down to her.

"Do you want to kiss me, little mermaid?"

Amused, he realized that nothing had remained of the shyness Ava had displayed yesterday. He was also suddenly aware of the fact that she was lying in nothing but her _wet_ underwear before him. Even his clothes stuck to him. When she smiled slightly, a desire suddenly awoke in him, one that he had not felt for a long time. He was aware that his behavior was not correct; after all, she was a young girl! Moreover, she was a mystery that he had to solve to make sure that she was not a threat for his area. But when she continued to pull his face toward her, he did not find the strength to resist. Because apart from her physical delicacy and crystal clear beauty of her eyes, her scent had immensely intensified after leaving the water. It beguiled his senses as he had never experienced before.

He was unable to take his eyes off hers, and when his lips were only inches away from hers, he was looking forward to tasting them again. He would-

"What happened, Godric?"


End file.
